Piracy In Pro Wrestling, A Growing Problem That Needs to End Now!

In the world of entertainment Piracy has always been an issue that music artists and film makers have had to deal with for some time now. Whether it was in the form of street vendors selling bad copies of movies, or having them ripped from the net, piracy seems to be a problem that isn’t going away.

Now it appears that it is becoming a problem for wrestling promotions. While ripping some footage of a John Cena, Randy Orton, or AJ Styles match from WWE or TNA may not seem like that big of an issue. It is causing a lot of problems for the smaller Indy promotions.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that Indy promoters and wrestlers don’t make a lot of money. While ripping footage from the net may help their work to be seen more. It also is taking away what little money they make from DVD sales and streaming sales.

I am no preacher; I have never once torn into a buddy for ripping tunes and flicks of the web. While I feel it’s wrong, I realize it is a fight I will never win. People will always opt for the free route over paying for a product.

I do have an issue though when it comes to ripping of people who are struggling to make ends meat. It is a horrible thing to do to the hard working wrestlers and promoters in wrestling. It is they who keep this business alive in well.

This was a recent statement put out by Dragon Gate U.S.A

“Piracy on the Internet has become a major concern and problem for independent wrestling promotions. It threatens the survival of this industry. We have done our best to counter it and give you a product worth supporting. Not only that, but the time we spend fighting piracy and money we lose would go towards making our product better for you.”

Now I am not blind, I am aware that there are still many dirty promoters in the business. That is an issue that will most likely never end. With that said, taking from the smaller promotions not only hurts them but the business as a whole.

These guys bust their buts out there night in and out to keep us entertained. Most wrestlers only make about 25 to 50 bucks a match, and some don’t get paid at all. As far as the promoters go, it isn’t all that better for them.

While you do have some Indy promoters doing ok, for the most part they struggle just to pay their wrestlers and keeping the lights in the building on. I still believe in a concept called “common decency”. It is one of the human factors that separate us from primates.

I’m not asking the guilty parties to change their lifestyles and thinking, all I am asking is that you have some compassion and decency for a business that has none. Because if Indy promotions fail, the wrestling business will collapse like fold like a deck of cards.

Ring Rap is on the look for new writers. So if you would like to have your work put up on a new site just let me know. We can either set you up with an account. Or if you prefer I can copy and paste your read, and of course you would get the credit. If your interested PM me or email me at mhester@ring-rap.com.

You can also hear my weekly radio version of ring rap on Monday night between 6 and 8 on http://www.allnoiseradio.com/